Vanity case



.l. c. MILLER Aug. 23, 1949.

VANITY CASE Filed May 28, 1945 PJ C/ l,

Patented Aug. 23, 1949 VANITY CASE Joseph C. Miller, Compton, Calif., assignor to Coast Envelope & Leather Products Company, a corporation of California Application May 28, 1945, Serial No. 596,195

3 Claims.

My present invention has to do with improvements in containers such as are used as so-called vanity cases, to carry powder and other cosmetics, the invention having as one of its principal objects the provision of a case whose base and cover lid portions have novel interlocking means which afford an effective seal as well as eliminate the necessity of any latch member.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a vanity case which, when closed, is not susceptible of being accidentally opened.

My invention possesses still further objects and advantages which will become apparent from the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment thereof, although I wish it understood that in its broader -aspects as defined by the appended claims, the invention is susceptible of being carried out in other specifically different structures which the following explanation will suggest to those working in this art. For purposes of the following description I shall refer to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device in open position;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is -a bottom plan view; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In general, the preferred embodiment of my invention employs a base and a hinged cover lid, the base having a straight back Wall and a curved or arched side wall which is outwardly curved in cross section. The cover lid is similarly shaped, so that the curved side wall of the lid will lockingly and sealingly engage over the similarly curved side wall of the base throughout the cooperating curved portions. Now, of course, in order to so operate, the side walls of the base and lid must be highly flexible and yet they must have sufficient strength to withstand heavy useage. Therefore, I preferably cast the base and cover lid of a suitable plastic, such, for instance, as any one of the well-known synthetic resins, and make the side walls of extremely thin section so that they possess great flexibility. To give the desirable added strength and durability to the structure I then cover the base and lid with a layer of soft leather or other durable, compressible material, the leather covering on the side wall of the base also adding desirable yieldability or cushioning effect to enable opening and closing and also providing an effective seal.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, I show a vanity case comprising generally a base 5 and a hinged cover lid 6.

CTI

The base has a bottom w-all 9, a straight back wall I and an arcuate or horseshoe-shaped side Wall 8 of outwardly curved cross section. The back wall 'I has a boss Ill of round cross section carrying at its ends axially yieldable trunnions II.

As will be observed from the drawings, the base is laminated, consisting of a plastic inner lamina 5a, such as of molded synthetic resin, and a soft leather outer lamina 5b, suitably bonded together, the leather lamina, being compressible, giving a cushion effect to the outer surface of the base and also preventing the relatively hard plastic inner lamina from becoming scratched. The leather covering also affords added body and strength to the structure. An opening tab or pull member I5 has its inner end bonded to the inner surface of the bottom wall 9 and projects outwardly through a slot I1 in the bottom wall, hanging free at its outer end to be grasped by the fingers of the user.

The cover lid 6 is likewise laminated and has a straight back wall 2U, a top wall 2I and an arcuate or horseshoe shaped side wall 25 which is outwardly curved in cross section to conform to the side wall of the base. The back wall 20 carries oppositely disposed bosses 2I socketed to receive the trunnions I I by which the -cover is hinged to the base. A mirror 3D or other lining member is carried by the cover lid 6, while a powder puff or other powder-carrying and applying member, not shown, rests in the base.

From the foregoing it will be observed that, to close the device, the cover and base portions are forced together to inter-engage the side walls, which requires flexure of both, aided by the soft surface provided by the leather lamina of the base. The case is thus effectively sealed by the inter-engagement of the side walls of curved cross section and by the resilient engagement of the top edge Ia of the back wall of the base against the inner surface of the mirror or lining member 30, as well as by engagement of the bottom edge of the back wall 20 of the 4cover lid against the boss I0, no separate latch member being required as in conventional vanity case construction, and the case is firmly held together against accidental opening. To open the case, the cover is grasped in one hand and the tab I5 is pulled by the other hand, to swing the lid and base apart.

I claim:

1. In a vanity case comprising a base member and a cover member having bottom walls, straight back walls hingedly connected together to swing relative to each other, and frictionally inter-engaging, horseshoe-shaped side walls of outwardly curved cross-section, each of said members being formed of an inner lamina of thin, flexible, hard material and an outer lamina of relatively soft, compressible material, and -a flexible pull element secured at its inner end to the inner lamina of one of said members and extending outwardly therefrom through the outer lamina of said member.

2. A vanity case comprising a base member and a cover member one of which frictionally nests within the other when closed, each of said members having a continuous side 'wall including a substantially straight back end portion and a portion arched in plan from one end to the other of the straight portion, and hinge means swingably connecting the straight portion of the cover member to the straight portion of the base member, said arched portions being outwardly curved in cross-section and one of said arched portions being flexible.

3. In a vanity case, the combination of a base having a substantially straight back wall and an arcuate side wall of outwardly curved cross section formed of an inner lamina of relatively hard material and an outer lamina of relatively soft,

compressible material; and a cover having a substantially straight back Wall hingedly connected to the back wall of the base to swing relatively thereto and an arcuate flexible side wall of outwardly curved cross section frictionally engageable over the side wall of the base; the top edge of the back wall of the base frictionally engaging the inner surface of the top Wall of the cover to form a seal therewith.

JOSEPH C. MILLER.

REFERENCES CHED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,704,285 Dunn et al Mar. 5, 1929 2,151,116 Jones Mar. 21, 1939 2,178,188 Schmidt Oct. 31, 1939 2,433,483 v Root, Jr Dec. 30, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,331 Great Britain 1873 276,159 YGreat Britain Aug. 25, 1927 

